Parent at Sandy Hook Hearing Lambastes Gun Control Advocates, Wonders if They ‘Failed American History’: ‘There Is Something Called the Constitution’

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This story has been updated.

(Photo Credit: YouTube)

We already brought you Mark Mattioli’s anti-gun control testimony in front of the Working Group Public Hearing at the Connecticut State Capitol on Jan. 28 (Mattioli’s son, James, perished in the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting). You also likely saw father Neil Heslin’s comments. As you may recall, video footage of his statement ended up being deceptively-edited by MSNBC.

But one speech you potentially missed comes from Bill Stevens, a father of a child in the Newtown Public School District. Unlike many of the other parents who testified, his daughter did not attend Sandy Hook (however she is in the same district). And rather than going after firearms, he took a different approach: He defended gun owners and lambasted those seeking new laws to remedy the problem.

Now, viral video of his impassioned defense of the Second Amendment is making its rounds today — and it’s certainly worth watching. In it, Stevens delivers a blow to other parents and politicians who proposed tougher gun restrictions at the hearing and wonders aloud whether they have “failed American history.” He also takes the time to read from the state constitution, while fervently defending his right to protect his family.

“My fifth grade daughter was in lock-down on Dec. 14, 2012. Unfortunately, her classmate’s little sister was murdered in Sandy Hook that day when lock-down and 9-11 weren’t enough to protect her from an evil person — not protect her from an assault rifle or some other inanimate object but from an evil person,” he says during his testimony.

The father goes on to note that he isn’t interested in citing statistics, as he proceeds to defend the freedom of citizens to own firearms without additional restrictions, calling legislators’ attempts to further crack-down on guns “asinine legislation.” Here’s a portion of his excoriating commentary directed at politicians and others touting gun control initiatives:

“I’m frankly shocked by some of the testimony today. In case some here failed American history, there is something called the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and a process by which to amend it. The same goes for the state Constitution. These rights are inalienable and endowed by our Creator — not you politicians — to all citizens regardless of gender, race or creed. In order to limit the rights of individual there is something called due process and legislation is not due process. You want to take my rights away? Let’s go to court.”

Stevens continues by noting that an official report about the Sandy Hook massacre likely won’t come out until the summer and that any legislation preceding that release would be premature. The father takes particular exception with attempts to demonize gun owners, claiming that his right to defend his daughter should be unimpeded.

“My guns are not dangerous. They are at home locked up collecting dust and cat hair,” he proclaims. “But criminals and tyrants — tyrants especially — beware. Lockdown is not an option at the Stevens residence. And 9-11 will be dialed after the security of my home has been established.”

He also alluded to the fact that additional school security would be a good avenue to protecting his daughter, not “making her dad a criminal” for being a gun owner.

“Charlton Heston made the phrase ’from my cold, dead hands’ famous,” he concluded. “And I will tell you here today, you will take my ability to protect my Victoria from my cold, dead hands.”